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Labour Party drags lawyer before legal practitioners disciplinary panel for allegedly spreading falsehood

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The Labour Party has dragged a lawyer, one Monday Mawah before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary panel for alleged malicious damage of the party’s image through spreading of falsehood using various mass media forum.
The party also accused him of distorting an Appeal Court judgement and spreading falsehood that the Court had sacked the national chairman of the party Julius Abure and in his place declared Lamidi Apapa as the authentic chairman.

The National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh on behalf of the party addressed a press conference on Tuesday where he read the letter of complaint that was addressed to the Chairman, Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee at their Plot 688, Institution and Research District, FCC Phase III Abuja.

The letter was titled, ‘Complaint against Monday Mawah gross professional misconduct violative of Part IV and V of the rules of pressional conduct 2023 amounting in Law to infamous conduct conduct unbecoming of a legal Practitioner.
The letter reads, “Sir, it is indeed with great trepidation that we write given that this is a season of politicking and political turmoil where even otherwise profoundly discreet, prudent and circumspect people nurse no compunction or reservation about casting their pearls before swine.

“We are in a democracy and stringent opposition to our party’s candidates’ emergence is expected. We have not been left disappointed even if we have been a little surprised by the nature and provenance of these attacks.

“We are however surprised and taken aback that a member of the revered legal profession has thrown caution to the winds and has embarked on a voyage spread false news to bring both the bar and the bench to opprobrium.

“On 24th August 2023, while the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja was delivering its judgments in Appeal Numbers CA/OW/CS/200/2023 and CA/OW/CS/201/2023, to wit: Sir Basil Maduka v Labour Party & 2 Ors and Labour Party v Sir Basil Maduka & 2 Ors, respectively.

“One Mr. Monday Mawah, a legal Practitioner, of Templum Solicitors of 84 Obafemi Awolowo Avenue, Abeokuta, Ogun State with Abuja address as Suite 87, 3rd Floor, Trinity House, Mabushi, Abuja, who was not a counsel in the matter and was not in court when the judgments were delivered, went on air on Channels Television and falsely, maliciously and with intent to deceive, confirmed to the whole world that the decision of the Court of Appeal in the 2 appeals was that the purported Lamidi Apapa- led faction of the Labour Party was declared as the authentic leadership of the Labour Party.
“He also declared that the Court had ordered that the names of candidates that emerged as winners in the purported primary election conducted by the Lamidi Apapa-faction be forwarded to INEC to be imputed as the Candidates of the Labour Party for the 2023 Gubernatorial elections fixed for later in the year.

“The said Mr. Monday Mawah falsely stated in the interview that the Court if Appeal had upheld the decision of the trial court, which the court never did.
“This utter falsehood as openly stated on live television by the said Mr. Monday Mawah was contrary to the decisions of the Honourable Court in its judgments in the appeals.
“In the Basil Maduka’s appeal, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja dismissed the appeal simplicita and held that the Appellant had no locus standi to institute the proceedings.

“In the Labour Party’s appeal, the Court held that the appeal was not necessary as the decision of the trial court was in its favour and that the mere comments of the trial judge in its judgement did not consist an appealable decision and should be discountenanced.

“In none of the 2 appeals did the Honourable Court proclaim the Orders that the said Mr. Monday Mawa had gone to town with and had impetuously proclaimed on live television to the whole world.

“Sir, it is quite unbecoming that a lawyer of Monday Mawah’s apparent ripe years at the bar should be allowed to continue to practice as a legal practitioner in Nigeria after putting out such riotous lies, which are now having far-reaching ripple effect of painting the judiciary as a confused institution.
“By his conduct, Mr. Monday Mawah contravened Part IV and V of the Rules of Professional Conduct which deals with a Lawyer’s Relations with the court and improper attraction of business.

Obiora therefore called on the Committee to immediately commence the process of disciplining Mr. Monday Mawah for infamous conduct infringing on the provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct, to wit; Part V( Relations with Court) and Part IV (Improper attraction of business), especially Rules 31( Duty of lawyer to court and conduct in court); 32 (candid and fair dealing), 33 (trial publicity), 39 (Advertising and soliciting) and 47 (Instigating controversy and litigation).

“Lawyers like Mr. Monday Mawah pose a grave threat to the bar and the bench in a society of impressionable and gullible laymen like Nigeria. He should be disciplined lest innocent Nigerians begin to take his words with more than a pinch of salt.”

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MAMBILLA: Court halts proceedings, adjurns over EFCC’s invalid prosecution witness against Agunloye

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The hearing of the criminal charges against the former Minister of Power and Steel, Dr. Olu Agunloye, which formally began at the FCT Court Thursday, 30 May 2024 before the same Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie was stalled over presentation of invalid prosecution witness by EFCC against Agunloye

EFCC is prosecuting Dr. Agunloye for “awarding in 2003 a $6 billion Build, Operate and Transfer $¾(BOT) contract without cash backing, disobeying oral directives of the President, forging his own letter as a sitting Minister and receiving a retroactive bribe of N3.6 million 16 years after.” To prove its case, EFCC has listed seven witnesses excluding former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who had earlier volunteered to testify at the court.

At the court, EFCC presented its first Prosecution Witness (PW1), Mr Adewale as “representative of the Guaranty Trust Bank”. He was brought to discuss the GTBank statement of accounts presented by EFCC. But the moment Mr Adewale disclosed that he was not in the employment of GTBank, the defence lawyers quickly pointed out the aberration to the court which immediately halted the presentation of Mr Adewale. The court promptly stopped the proceedings and adjourned the hearing till Monday, 10 June 2024 to enable the EFCC regularise its Prosecution Witness Number One.

It will be recalled that the former Minister, Dr. Olu. Agunloye, has consistently asserted that he did not commit any crime, and that EFCC is prosecuting him to corroborate FGN’s pleas at the arbitration in France hoping to free FGN from liabilities in the Arbitration even though FGN knows that the issues that led to the international arbitration were caused under Buhari’s APC Government and not by Agunloye. However, Agunloye will have to combat the emergent bias, prejudice, and prejudgment on the part of the trial judge and has to struggle very hard for justice in Nigeria.

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EFCC to arraign Bello on Thursday over alleged N80.2b money laundering

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has indicated it will on Thursday, April 18, 2024 arraign a former governor of Kogi State,  Yahaya Adoza Bello before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The antigraft agency said Bello will be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite alongside three other suspects,  Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19- count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80, 246,470, 088.88
The arraignment is being perfected following a warrant of arrest and enrolment order granted the EFCC by the court on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. 

Count one of the charges reads: That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu( Still at large), sometime, in February, 2016, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to convert the total sum of N80, 246,470, 088.88 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity  to wit, criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended”.

Count 17 of the charges read: “That you Yahaya Bello between 26th July 2021 to 6th April 2022 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable  Court aided E-Traders International Limited to conceal the aggregate sum of  N3081,804,654.00( Three Billion, Eighty One Million Eight Hundred and Four Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty Four Naira) in account number 1451458080 domiciled in Access BankPlc, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit, criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a), 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15( 3) of the same Act.

Count 18  of the charges reads: “That you Yahaya Adoza Bello  sometime in November 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction  of this Honourable Court  indirectly procured E-Traders international Limited to transfer  the aggregate sum of $570,330.00( Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand , Three Hundred and Thirty Dollars) to account number 4266644272 domiciled in TD Bank, United States of America which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit, criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15( 3) of the same Act”.

“The Commission’s attempt to execute the Warrant of Arrest lawfully obtained against Bello met stiff resistance  on Wednesday,  April 17,  2024.  The security cordon around the former governor’s residence in Abuja was breached by the current Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo who  ensured that the suspect was spirited away in his official vehicle.  
“As a responsible law enforcement agency,  the EFCC exercised restraint in the face of the provocation, waiting for his arraignment on Thursday, April 18,  2024.

“It is needful to state that Bello is not above the law and would be brought to justice as soon as possible.”

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Court bars Ganduje from parading himself as member of APC

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Yhe Kano State High Court has granted an ex parte order restraining the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, from parading himself as a member of the party.

The court ordered that Ganduje must refrain from presiding over all affairs of the National Working Committee of the APC.

The application waa said to have been granted by Justice Usman Na’abba on Tuesday, following an ex parte motion filed by Dr. Ibrahim Sa’ad on behalf of two executive members of Ganduje’s ward, Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area, the Assistant Secretary, Laminu Sani and Legal Adviser, Haladu Gwanjo (plaintiffs), who were part of the nine ward executives who suspended Ganduje on Monday.

The court directed the four parties (respondents) joined in the matter, including the APC, NWC, APC Kano State Working Committee, and Ganduje, to henceforth, maintain status quo ante belum as of April 15th,2024 pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit on April 30th 2024

Justice Na’abba, also held as prayed, stopped State Working Committee APC Kano from interfering with the legally and validly considered decision of executives of Ganduje ward, essentially on action endorsed by a two-thirds majority of the executives as provided by the party constitution.

The ex parte order read,, “An order is hereby granted directing all parties in the suit APC (first), APC National Working Committee (second), Kano State Working Committee APC (third), Dr. Abdullah Umar Ganduje (fourth), to maintain status quo ante belum as of April 15, 2024.
“The order thereby restraining the first respondent (APC) from recognising the fourth respondent (Ganduje) as a member of APC and prohibiting the fourth respondent (Ganduje) from presiding over any affairs of the NWC and restraining the state Working Committee from interfering with the legally and validly decision of the ward executives of Ganduje ward.

“That the fourth respondent (Ganduje}is prohibited from parading himself as a . member of APC or doing any act that may _ portray him or seem to be a member of APC pending the hearing and determination of the
substantive suit.”

Nine members of the Ganduje ward proclaimed the suspension of the National Chairman of the APC over the allegation of corruption slammed on him by the Kano State Government.

The nine APC executives said they were prompted to act following a petition written by one Ja’afaru Adamu, a member of the AP from the National chairman’s polling unit.

in the petition, Adamu complained over allegations of corruption charges against the
former governor just as he urged the ward leaders to investigate the matter to redeem the dented image of the party and the implication on President Bola Tinubu’s fight against corruption.

Although the chairman and secretary of the ward failed to act on the petition filed en April 8, 2024, nine members of the executives, led by the legal adviser, acted upon the petition, a decision that led to Ganduje’s suspension.

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